


The Twisted Fate

by Nordra



Series: Remnants of Blood [5]
Category: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, Roleswap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-04-22 02:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14298591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nordra/pseuds/Nordra
Summary: Taking place afterWhat could have been,Fate does not seem content to leave the Belmont Family alone.One of them has to reject the Light, but this time it is not the one you'd expect.





	1. Chapter 1

_Anno domini 1073_

The sound of the hooves hitting the damp grass and the neighing of the horses were the first signs they got before a low thumping of the boots reached the front door, followed by intense knocking.

Sypha looked away from her cooking and bit her lip. Sun had set nearly three hours ago, who would come to their home this late?

Glancing over at the large, weathered wooden table where her father-in-law was sitting with 6-year-old Simon, papers and sticks of charcoal strewn across the surface as the young boy practised writing the alphabet.

Sypha changed looks with Gabriel before moving the pot away from the fire, leaving her place by the stove and made her wave to the door, slipping a single dagger from the nearby table in her hand, turning it so the blade was hidden.

She opened the door and both Gabriel and Simon saw how she tensed briefly.

"Father-in-law..." Sypha looked over her shoulder and moved aside, revealing a group of four men with crimson armour in the doorway.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed as he stood up, Simon looked perplexed at the sudden harsh aura his grandfather emitted. Though he was nearing his sixties, the Champion of Light still moved easily. Rounding the table, brown-haired warrior stepped before the men, crossing his arms. 

Dressed in a simple white shirt, brown pants and boots, Gabriel Belmont still managed to look like a warrior in his prime as the blue-grey eyes glared at the men.

"You're not welcome here. Leave."

The leader of the group, man with short black hair in his mid-thirties, sighed. "Brother, we..."

"Do not call me that," Gabriel interrupted. "I left the Brotherhood years ago. Did I not make it clear that the Order is not welcome anywhere near my family again?"

"My apologies. The Order would honour your wish but..."

"But nothing. Leave. The last warning."

One of the three other men scoffed. "So this is our great saviour? Threatening with violence in the presence women and children?"

"Quiet," the leader snapped before turning towards Gabriel. "I beseech you. Our matter is of utmost importance and comes straight from the Elders. It... involves the Bernhard Castle. We had reports that..."

"No," Gabriel shook his head. "You can deal with your own problems. I no longer hunt. And Trevor certainly won't bother with the Order's troubles."

Taught everything that his father knew, Gabriel's son inherited the famous Vampire Killer along with the relics Gabriel gained during his dark quest. People often sought help against the dark creatures from the Belmont family, Gabriel's fame had made that name famous across the land.

Despite living with the Order for his first years, Trevor, like his father had no love for the Brotherhood. The Order often tried to recruit the young Belmont back to their ranks but quickly stopped when Trevor finally single-handedly put the latest commander in his place after their latest attempt a year ago.

Trevor had been visiting the town blacksmith with Simon when the commander with three underlings approached them and started once again lure the dark-haired man to the Order. The last straw was when after Trevor had promptly ignored them, the commander had started to ask from then 5-year-old Simon wouldn't he like it if his father was a knight and maybe Simon would like being one to someday too?

That earned the commander a straight punch right into his face, breaking his nose and flying the poor bastard on his arse. 

Seemingly shamed his outburst, Trevor said nothing of it to Gabriel and Sypha, but later at home Simon suddenly asked in dinner table did his father's hand not hurt after punching that stupid man?

Imagine Trevor's face as both Gabriel and Sypha roared with laughter when he finally admitted what had happened.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Gabriel pointed towards the door. "Get out. Now. And don't show your faces here again!" Turning around, Gabriel clearly signalled that he was done with this.

The leader of the warriors spoke again. "Gabriel, listen to us! The situation in North has gone worse, monsters gather and..."

"I do not care-!"

"...your son might be there as well!"

That made the silence drop in the house, only the fire in the hearth crackled and popped.

"Please listen to us and we'll leave then. You have my word."

Stepping aside without a word, Gabriel grudgingly let them in. 

The leader glanced towards Sypha and Simon. "Perhaps... it would be better they left..." but warrior's words died when red-headed woman fixed at him a stern and cold look.

"If you're going to talk about my husband, then I'm staying right here. Simon, come over here. Give the _good_ men some space," Sypha turned from the men and ushered an equally red-haired boy to gather his study notes.

The warrior tried to appeal to the legendary warrior. "Gabriel..."

"Trust me," Gabriel shrugged. "When Sypha makes her mind, none can change it. None."

***

"Six months ago, we received a disturbing news. The people of Wygol Village had fled their homes in panic despite the years of peace since your victory over the vampires. Townsfolk spoke of terrifying thunderous sounds and unnatural lights that illuminated the castle one night. Something that was not done by nature. Many left the village by then."

The leader of the Order's warriors sat across Gabriel, his companions standing behind him and letting their superior do the talking. Sypha stood by Gabriel with Simon next to her.

"A few weeks after the events, the village was attacked by monsters. The few survivors told that strangely, the beasts came from the outside of the village, killing people along the way as they seemingly made their way into the castle."

"So monsters made the castle their lair again?" Gabriel asked.

"That was our first thought, yes but it did not explain the events before their arrival. Then, we learned that just before the strange phenomenon, maybe a day or so, an outsider travelled through Wygol and entered the castle. A warrior dressed in an armoured green goat with long dark hair."

"That doesn't mean it was..."

"Gabriel, That man was carrying your old weapon. The people of Wygol remember your victory over the vampires well and recognized it easily."

"It can't be..." Sypha breathed. "He's supposed to be near the southern border."

"That we know nothing about but most certainly Trevor Belmont entered the castle before the strange events begun."

"We sent a squad to Wygol afterwards. The only thing they found was a village devout of human life and monsters prowling around. And not just one type of monsters but a whole variety of them. Werewolves, wargs, goblins, vampires... All manner of dark beings. A few with a talent for speech spoke of some lord or prince. It... looks like that some powerful being has taken over the castle. A being capable of rallying different monsters under its rule."

The warrior of the Order stood up. "Gabriel Belmont, the Order knows that we have no reason to demand anything from you but whatever this thing is... only you could possibly defeat it." He gestured to one of his men, who stepped forward, laying something wrapped in cloth. "The Elders sent this."

Gabriel hesitated before moving to pull the cloth aside, the insides of the package clanging against the wood.  
On the table lay a Combat Cross. "Gandolfi's weapon."

"It's not on par with the Vampire Killer but perhaps if you wield it, it won't matter," the warrior said. "May the God be with you.

***

As the men had departed, Sypha shut the door to Simon's room, the young boy finally gone to the bed. "Gabriel... Trevor, could he have really gone there?"

Gabriel stood by the window, looking out of the rustic window, the moonlight illuminating the dust dancing in front of the glass. "I do not know. I want to think that villagers have erred but..."

"If they recognized the Vampire Killer... Trevor wouldn't give that weapon to anybody," Sypha finished, lifting a hand to the small pendant she always wore, a gift from his husband when he had started to court her.

Turning around, weathered face of a warrior regarded his daughter-in-law. "Sypha... If there's a change that Trevor's in there and in trouble..."

"I know. Just promise me something."

"Yes?"

"Come home, father-in-law. And bring my husband back too."

"I swear it on my life. We'll come home. Both of us."

***

The castle was as haunting as ever. Even though the unnatural winter brought by Carmilla was gone, the landscape was now captured in winter months. The Wygol Village was deserted, dead quiet as a graveyard. 

Snow crunching under his boots, Gabriel pushed his hood down when the groaning began.

Zombies dug themselves up, their decaying flesh dripping on the snow.

Warrior smirked and reached for his weapons. So it begins...

From that point onward, Gabriel fought his way through the hordes of monsters even before he reached the main gate. As he finished the last of animated armours, Gabriel looked up the main doors. They were closed tightly. Swinging the chain, Gabriel started to haul himself upwards the wall and reached one of the platforms. There were windows he could smash through and make his way inside.

A screech sounded above him and a large, rounded figure plummeted towards Gabriel. A gargoyle spit fire at him and dived downwards with claws extended. Dodging, Gabriel swung the chain, hitting the gargoyle on the face and enraging it. The monster roared and attacked, jaws open. Blocking the attack with the Cross, Gabriel punched the thing to the side of its gaping face.

Gargoyle shook its head and extended its taloned feet, grabbing him and started to beat its wings, hauling the human warrior higher and higher over the tower roofs. Cursing, Gabriel felt for one of his daggers as the cold wind and monster's bumpy flight jostled him until he got one in hand. Wasting no time, he plunged the dagger deep into the glowing eye of the gargoyle. The thing screeched in pain while its claws released Gabriel, plummeting him in deadly fall.

Seeing an open-roofed place below them, he swung the Cross, shooting the chain towards the nearby tower. Hooked tip embedded itself on ancient stone and Gabriel managed to swing himself safely over the walls.

The chain detached and warrior landed on the hard marble floor with a roll. Groaning, Gabriel pulled himself and looked up, seeing how the gargoyle fleeted, lava-like blood dropping from its injured eye. His gauntlet bore some burn marks where the gargoyle's blood had spilt on but thankfully the heat did not reach his flesh.

"I'm too old for this..."

Looking around, Gabriel grimaced. He had landed into the very same room where he had battled Carmilla so long ago. The great mirror still stood on the wall, framed by two great dragon reliefs.

The rattling of bones echoed through the room, making Gabriel drop on a defensive stance. Skeleton Knights had blocked the top of the stairway, trapping the human in the circular room.  
Not only them but snarling and scuffling emerged too as the bestial vampires scaled over the walls and down of them, surrounding Gabriel from all the sides. Beasts bared their fangs, saliva dripping from their tips and down their jaws as their flexed their wings and long claws.

Quickly checking his belt, Gabriel cursed. He had only three flasks of holy water left and there were at least 40 vampires, not including skeletons.

All at once every monster pounced and the battle was on. 

With a swift Area Attack Combo, the first wave of vampires was repelled but this weapon was far from Gabriel's old one so it did not kill them as easily. Rushing over their fallen kin, more vampires struck and Gabriel felt how the claws caused sparks to fly as they raked across the metal. The metal did not withhold long and his blood spilt, the smell of iron leading the vampires into a higher frenzy.

Taking more hits than delivering them, Gabriel failed to see a skeleton charging towards him until it rammed right into his back. Thrown down on his front, grip on the Cross slipped and it slid out of his reach.  
Coughing, head against the floor, Gabriel saw multiple long taloned legs closing in. His wounds from battles and earlier fall weighed upon him and he knew that monsters would tear him to pieces in seconds. If only he was ten years younger still...

_Dammit... Does it really end like this? Sypha, Simon... I'm sorry..._

A lone tear fell from the corner of his eye as Gabriel closed them, preparing to meet his end at last.

_Trevor..._

One vampire surged forward, claws extended and ready to tear human's flesh but suddenly, its attack was stopped as a cloud of shadows emerged right in front of it, separating it from Gabriel. He opened his eyes and saw how the misty darkness held the vampire by throat high over the floor, making the creature wail in pain as it kicked its legs in vain.

The mist solidified and Gabriel's view was blocked by a long, blue, gold-trimmed coat and metallic boots. The figure wearing the coat stood with a back towards Gabriel so he could not make much of their appearance. He did notice a long, snow-white hair and gauntleted hand that squeezed vampire's throat, though.

Vampire wheezed and whimpered as other monsters suddenly backed away, cowering. "Mercy!" The monster struggled to hiss. "Mercy...!"

The captor snarled and with an easy move, vampire's neck was crushed, the blood showering everywhere. Killer tossed the body aside and growled, the male voice shaking Gabriel to the core. "Leave this man alone or suffer the same fate!!"

"But Lord...." another vampire whimpered, but flinched as white-haired male fixed his stare on it, the monster gulping in terror and hastily rushing away with its kin. Vampires took flight, some scaled the walls and skeletons disappeared from the stairs, all running for their lives.

The room was silent soon after, the wind howling around two figures, one on the ground prompting himself slightly up, leaning on his right arm. The man, still standing with his back to the other, held his hand up, watching the crimson blood of the vampire staining the metal, sharp claw-like tips dripping with liquid. The hand was suddenly waved, flicking the blood away from the hand, staining the floor next to him.

Broad shoulders rose and set a deep breath was drawn. "You should have never come here. Father."

"Trevor? Is... is it really you, son?"

White-haired head turned by a fraction, not enough to reveal person's face. "Go." 

With that, younger Belmont started to walk away, away from Gabriel.

Mind whirling with questions and need for their answers, Gabriel hissed as he ignored the pain coursing through his body and heaved himself off the ground. Though staggering, he managed to shot after his son and closed a hand on the wrist before pulling Trevor backwards and using the momentum to spin him around. "Wait! Son, what's going -"

The words died at the moment Gabriel met his son's eyes. Or at least, what used to be his eyes. Familiar blue eyes that Trevor had inherited from Gabriel were now bright yellow, almost golden. Sclera was dark, nearly black like his thin lips. Trevor's skin was pale, nearly greyish and littered with fine cracks, like a damaged porcelain.

Suprised at his father's sudden actions, those golden eyes widened and dark lips parted, the light glinting off from something behind them.

Just like when Marie had died, Gabriel felt like his world shattered the moment he saw them.

Fangs.

Quickly Trevor snapped his mouth closed and his body disintegrated into a mist, darting away from Gabriel. He reformed in front of the Mirror, wobbling slightly and steadying himself with a hand against the wall. "Don't... touch me!"

Gabriel could not believe what he was seeing. Now he could see easily the armoured coat his son was wearing in full detail along with armoured gauntlets and boots, yet his eyes focused on the bare chest and midriff revealed between coat labels as Trevor had no shirt or anything else underneath it. As pale as his face, Trevor's torso looked sunken and emaciated.

"A vampire."

That lone word made white-haired male flinch and averting his eyes from his father, as Gabriel dared to take a step towards him.

Trevor was quite a moment before speaking, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I never understood just how accurate that sentence was."

"Son... How, how could this have happened?"

Letting out a bitter laugh, Trevor lifted his hands and looked at them. "A single sacrifice in the face of destruction. Fortune seems to like to laugh at Belmonts, father. If there's any fairness in world, I'd have perished in that spot..."

Not understanding at all what his son (for the creature before he was still his son, vampire or not) was talking about, Gabriel opted to approach him instead of talking and reached an arm out for Trevor.

Jerking, the vampire hissed and drew back once more, distancing himself from the elder man. "I said don't touch me!"

"Son..." Gabriel spoke with a low voice, hoping to calm his son, for he looked like a wolf trapped in the cage, ready to pounce.

" _Son?!_ Look at me, father! Is this what you'd call a son?! What part of me resembles anything I was?!" Baring those long fangs, Trevor drew closer the Mirror, his back nearly touching its surface.

"The fact that you still call me father," Gabriel answered. "Though I can't understand just what is going on here or how did this happen to you, I still see my son in front of me. Nothing can change that, vampire or not."

"Nothing?! I'm a monster! A creature that thirsts for blood, filled with hatred! Even now I can smell your blood, father! Do you know how sweet it smells?! How it makes my throat constrict and fangs ache?! I'm no better than those monsters you fought earlier!"

"How many of those you've destroyed? How many have I destroyed?!"

"Hundreds," Gabriel said. "I'd dare say that we have more monster blood on our hands than anyone before us."

"And yet you'd welcome a one monster because of a slightly familiar face..."

"But you're also the same son I watched growing up," Gabriel continued despite Trevor's remark, "Who I trained. Who I watched marrying one of the fiercest women upon this earth. And who gave me the best grandson a man could hope for."

At the mention of his wife and son, Trevor shook, tears filling those alien eyes, anger disappearing as he buried his face on gauntleted hands, long fingers with claw-like tips shielding them from the view. "Sypha... Simon..."

Gabriel closed the distance between them and gently put his hand on the side of Trevor's hidden face. Tender touch rose the vampire from his woe and golden eyes met blue ones. Moving slowly to not startle him further, Gabriel lifted his other hand to cup pale cheek until he was holding his child's face between his hands. Leaning forward and holding other's gaze, the elder warrior pushed his forehead to rest against Trevor's, a gesture of great affection between them. Vampire whimpered and curled his fingers around Gabriel's wrist, but did not pull his father's hands off. 

"We'll figure this out. Let me help you, son."

"You can't help me! No-one can..."

Gabriel pulled back slightly, slipping his hands from Trevor's face to wound them across his shoulders and pulling him into a tight embrace, ignoring the points of his armour. They both know that Gabriel was speaking lies. For there was only one cure for vampirism. But neither cared to point it out right now. 

"Come on, son, Gabriel whispered, his voice barely audible over the wind. "Let's go home. There are people waiting for you."

"I..."

Suddenly, from amidst the winds, another sound emerged. Multiple voices, in fact. Hissing and whispering around them. His senses alerting of incoming danger, Gabriel lifted his head in time to see something he had never witnessed before.

The walls were bleeding. There was no better word for it. Thick rivulets of blood poured out of the cracks and nooks, gathering into large pools around the room.

**Trespasser!**

"What the-?!" Gabriel breathed as the voices grew more intense, hostile.

"No!" Trevor hissed, pushing his father away. "Go! Leave quickly, father!"

Shocked at Trevor's sudden actions, Gabriel looked back towards him. "What? Son, what is this?"

"I can't explain! Just go! Before -!"

The warning came too late. A tendril of blood shot from a nearby pool, sweeping Gabriel away from Trevor and tossing him to the other side of the room.

"Father!"

Gabriel wheezed and rolled, barely evading the second tendril that slammed in the spot he had just been in, the marble shattered by the sheer force of that blow. Unleashing his weapon, elderly warrior cut through the blood. Yet it did next to no damage as tendrils rebuilt themselves in an instant, lashing back.

**You dare to try to take our Prince away from us?!**

_Prince?_ Performing a perfect Synchronized Block, Gabriel managed to repel few strikes, gaining just enough time to check where Trevor was left.

By the Mirror, Trevor was slashing and hacking the blood with his gauntleted claws, lacking any other weaponry. While his father was fighting for his life, the blood seemed to try to incapacitate Trevor, wrapping around his ankles and creeping upwards.

The voices now overcame to the wind in volume, their hissing constant.

**You belong with us  
This is your home**

"Dammit! Let go!" Trevor snarled and lifted a hand, ready to tear into the blood slithering over his legs. But another tendril shot from behind and wrapped around his wrist, twisting vampire's arm. "Gah!"

"Trevor!" Gabriel shouted and darted towards him, letting the chain cut through the blood. Before he could reach his son, a pair of blood-soaked skeletons rose from the blood pool, brandishing their swords.

Feinting to the left, skeleton's sword embedded into the marble instead of human flesh, but monster's partner managed to deliver the hit. Sword singed across from Gabriel's shoulder to his chest. Luckily it was a shallow cut but skeleton slammed its shield right to Gabriel's ribs, making him losing balance and falling down on one knee.

"Father!" Trevor yelled and tore his arm free. But three more wrapped around his middle and arms, trying to drag him to the nearest pool of blood.

**Stop fighting, My Prince  
We are only trying to help**

"Stop hurting him!" Vampire hissed. "If you address me as Lord, do as I say!"

**No**  
**He's a bad influence**  
**He's trying to take you away, My Lord!**  
**He should be punished!**

Blood gathered around Trevor's ankles, starting to encase them. Gabriel groaned and parried a sword attack, trying to search for an opening to rush past the skeletons and aiding his son.

"Damn!" Hitting this blood-coated skeleton was like hitting a troll in full-plate armour. The bony hand gripped his wrist that held the Cross and glowing eyesockets locked in blue-grey eyes, skeleton leaning over and those demonic voices rushed out of its mouth.

**You will not have him!**  
**He's ours!**  
**We are his family now**

"Like hell!" Gabriel's head bashed into the skeleton's face, forcing it to release its hold and taking a step back. Gabriel used his weapon like a blunt weapon, smashing the monster in pieces. Bones fell to the ground, shaking and he knew that they would reform in a minute.

They were losing this battle and fast. Trevor was overwhelmed by the blood that kept Gabriel away by summoning more and more monsters. They had to get away.

Trevor had managed to get few steps out of the blood's reach, standing in front the Mirror, it's surface shimmering and moving. Just like all those years ago when Pan...

Gabriel's eyes widened. Of course!

Dashing forward, warrior rammed through the skeletons and blood, heading straight towards the vampire. "Trevor!"

Golden eyes turned towards him just as father slammed into him with the shoulder first, throwing the vampire backwards and causing the blood releasing him. Gabriel grabbed Trevor's arm as they fell towards the Mirror, hoping that this would work.

The surface moved like a liquid as two males fell through it, leaving those diabolic voices howling after them.

**No! Do not leave us, My Prince!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it begins. I know there's many things left vague, like Trevor's lack of power in battle but those will be addressed later.


	2. Chapter 2

A tangled mess consisting a human and a vampire broke through the liquid surface, tumbling down the ancient, deteriorating stairs in desolate place, dead trees surrounding them.

Stopping on the dusty ground, Gabriel untangled and one more time swung his weapon, twisting the chain around the stone structure that housed the gateway and pulled. Large stones fell apart and the gateway was destroyed. A cloud of dust sprung around them, causing them to cough.

Relieved that their opponents had not been able to follow, Gabriel let himself fell on his back, the sand sticking to his open wounds, aggravating them further. He was beyond exhausted.

He must have lain there for a while, maybe drifting off, because he stirred as a voice called out to him.

"Father?"

Opening his eyes, he saw sharp claws extending towards him and his training kicked in. Reaching for the dagger, elder swung it by instinct. Tearing sound of a sharp metal meeting flesh echoed out, followed by surprised and pained hissing. "Ngh!"

Snapping out of his defensive state, Gabriel realized just what he had done.

The pale vampire had knelt by his side and was now holding his face, a laceration running across from the left side of his jaw upwards, over the dark lips and ending right underneath his right eye. A trail of crimson blood dripped on to the ground.

Grimacing, Gabriel dropped his dagger and pushed himself up so he was sitting, leaning backwards with his arms. "Trevor! I'm sorry... I thought..."

"No, Father. It's fine," the vampire replied, wiping his face with a leathered palm of his gauntlet, the gash healing almost instantly. " _'Never lose your guard, not even after the battle has ended.'_ "

"One of the first things you ever taught," Trevor looked down at his palm, remnants of his blood staining it.

He looked back where the structure had stood and the woods surrounding them. "Where are we?"

"Near Bones Forest and Woes Moor," Gabriel answered. "I travelled through these lands on my way to the Land of Death."

"Ah," Trevor recalled the stories of quests his father had told him years ago. Shifting his gaze to the rubble that once housed to the gateway of their escape, vampire mumbled, mostly to himself. "Never thought that mirror would still work..."

"Good thing that it did," his father said, having picked up his son's muttering while he checked the wound in his torso left by the skeleton. "What was that living blood thing? I never met anything like that."

"I..." Trevor scratched his neck. "I don't actually know. It began speaking few months after the..."

Vampire cut off and looked at his hands. "After this. Mostly it kept away, only acting up in similar fashion when I once wandered outside of the castle. But it settled right after I returned inside."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and frowned. "So it kept you prisoned..."

Trevor sighed before correcting his father and standing up. "I stayed of my own free will, Father."

"Why?" Gabriel stood also, facing his son. His question caused Trevor's eyes to darken and when the vampire spoke, his voice was once again laced with self-loathing.

"Why the hell do you think?" Trevor clenched his fists. "What else I could have done?!"

"How about coming home or at least informing your family?!" Gabriel raised his own voice. Marie had always said that Gabriel's greatest strength, and flaw, were his feelings and temper. Though those features had been more mellowed in Trevor, Gabriel's son was just as stubborn as his father. And if needed, as hot-headed. It was not unusual for them to clash verbally.

"Sure. _'I'm sorry that my journey lasted so long. By the way, I'm a blood-sucking vampire now!'_ Why not inform the Brotherhood, too?!"

"Dammit Trevor, you know what I mean," Gabriel pressed a palm against his face.

"Perhaps, but do you know?" Vampire crossed his arms. "Would you just waltz home after being turned into a monster without a care in the world?"

To Trevor's surprise, Gabriel actually nodded. "If I thought my loved ones missed and would try to help me, then yes."

Eyes widening, the vampire fell silent for a minute. "...I see."

Both men stood there, Trevor refusing to meet Gabriel's eyes and elder warrior looking at the vampire, desperately wanting to reach out to him. To offer comfort like those times when his son was merely a child.

Remembering how the young boy had left his bed and padded through their small house, only to climb in his father's bed, terrified of the thunderstorm raging outside. Gabriel had stirred from his sleep when Trevor had snuggled as close to him as possible, sniffing. Smiling, the warrior had pulled to covers over them and gently wound his arm across his child's shoulders, shielding him from the ravaging nature.

Even after coming to an age, Trevor never shielded himself like this...

Looking towards the trees, the warrior noticed how the top branches slowly gained a soft peach tone. The morning had come. "We should take cover. Looks like the sun will rise up soon."

"What of it?"

Gabriel delivered a perplexed look towards his child. "Son, sure you know that you can't stay in sunlight. You'll burn!"

Turning his head aside, Trevor scoffed. "If it would be so easy for me to perish, do really you think I would still be here?"

"You..." Gabriel looked horrified, the implications of those words hitting him like a battering ram. "You've tried to _burn_ yourself?!"

Golden eyes regarded his father behind the white hair. "Among the other things. Nothing worked. The sun, holy objects, staking... Nothing."

"But," the vampire continued. "A shelter would probably be a good idea. Your injuries need treating after all."

Determined to get to the bottom of this, Gabriel moved next to his son, lifting a hand on a blue-coated shoulder, making Trevor tense yet he did not pull away. Maybe his son had not closed himself off completely, after all. "Son, please tell me; how did all this happen? You were supposed to be in the south."

Looking at the human from the corner of his eyes, the vampire clearly weighing his options. Finally, Trevor took a deep sigh, lifting his head and looked at the sky that slowly gained light "I was. The werewolf threat had just been dealt when someone called me..."

_¤¤¤¤_

_The town that had called for the aid against the pack of werewolves plaguing them just disappeared behind the hills when the voice called out of the nothing, making the dark-haired warrior stopping._

_"Trevor...!_  
_Hear me... Trevor!_  
_I need your help! I... I am afraid._  
_It's not safe for me here anymore._  
_I have no one left to turn to._  
_Trevor, you must help me!"_

_¤_

_Standing among the freshly slain ghoul corpses, stood a little girl dressed like a royalty. Yet her very aura screamed of a predator. "I'm glad you came. We haven't met, yet I know your father. I'm Laura. Follow me."_

_"Laura... Carmilla's daughter, right?" Trevor hesitated for a moment before following her, for now. "You called me here... Why?"_

_Looking over her shoulder, the adolescent monster eyed him for a moment. "Your father destroyed the Lords of Shadow but in doing so, he unleashed a greater evil."_

_"What?"_

_She twirled around, long dress flying along the movement. "A powerful demon is coming! A creature that knows no pity or mercy and who is bent to on destroying this world."_

_"Very few knew that long ago, before the Lords of Shadow came there was a fierce battle here. The three founding members of Brotherhood fought a creature called the Forgotten One. This creature had been summoned by the evil Bernhard Family, who owned the castle at the time. But thing went badly wrong for them. The Forgotten One escaped its bonds."_

_"The Founders knew they could not destroy the Forgotten One so they waited for their opportunity during the fight and locked up the demon in a dimensional rift that they created using their combined powers. This fortress was used for that prison, and the Brotherhood built new areas around it, to house the creature deep within."_

_"As you know, years later the Founders transcended as heavenly spirits, in the process creating the Lords of Shadow. It was not by chance that my mother, Carmilla, chose this particular castle. Carmilla hated the other Lords but she feared what could happen is the Forgotten One should ever escape!"_

_"Your father destroyed them and so the power that kept the Forgotten One locked within his prison has been weakened. For a while, I thought that the seal kept as nothing happened but it seems that my hopes were for nought."_

_Laura turned around and looked at the human. "It's now only a matter of time before he breaks free and returns to this world."_

_"How can you be so sure that will happen if you were so wrong earlier?" Trevor asked._

_The girl suddenly dashed forward and bared her fangs. "Don't be a fool! I know he's coming! The creature will simply reduce this world to ashes in revenge for centuries of captivity!"_

_"Everyone will die. Everyone you love. Your wife and son." She stopped for a moment before continuing, "Your father. There will be nowhere to hide..."_

_Floating back, she gestured between them. "We are the only ones with power enough to stop him. Once I might have called for Gabriel, but your father has grown old, feeble. Far from the height of his power. But you are his son. I can sense the same strength flowing in your as it did in your father."_

_Laura looked straight into Trevor. "Tell me, would you have the souls of the innocent on your conscience for eternity?"_

_Standing there, Trevor did not speak for a while. But when he did, he met vampire's gaze with determinate fire in them. "Then... show me what I must do!"_

_¤_

_Standing next to other, human and vampire watched as the gigantic metallic contraption lit up and the wind whirled around them._

_"The portal is open. I will go in, you stay here!" Trevor's grip on the Vampire Killer tightened as he stepped forward._

_A small hand grabbed his own, halting him with inhuman force. "Wait. You will die. The other side is no place for humans. Only dark beings can survive there."_

_Trevor turned towards the vampire. "A wise man once said that despite what the Order claims, there is some darkness in every human..."_

_Laura watched him for a moment, pity in her pale eyes. "Yes, but there is also love, compassion and tenderness. You must leave it all behind. You must become a creature like me." Biting into her wrist, she offered the bloody appendage to him. "Drink my blood. Its power can protect you once you get to the other side."_

_Giving Trevor a sympathetic look Laura whispered, her voice nearly drowning in the wind. "I am sorry. You have no choice."_

_Weighing his options and realizing he was driven back against the wall, Trevor took the offered hand, sighing. "I know. Guess a Belmont never has."_

_¤_

_He had managed to destroy the armour on demon's head but in retaliation, the Forgotten One slammed him down to the ground, the Vampire Killer falling from Trevor's grip and flying over the edge of the platform and down into the abyss._

_Rolling aside, Trevor rose up and saw how now exposed demon glared at him._ _**"You cannot triumph here, fool! You have no comprehension of what you are up against!"**_

_Rumbling filled the space as the seal creaked._

_**"The seal is open. I'll enter your world now..."** Sneering at the human, demon mocked him. **"It will be reduced to ashes, and I shall inflict ten times the pain and suffering that were inflicted upon me when I was imprisoned by the Brotherhood. I'll let you live, so you can witness your complete and utter failure!"**_

_Taking a deep breath, the Forgotten One sighed. **"Freedom, at last!"**_

_Gritting his teeth, Trevor could only watch as the demon turned and lifted its hand, ready to claim its returning power._

_He forced himself up despite all the pain coursing through him and burning his veins. Snarling, Trevor dashed forwards and jumped, invoking the Seraph Shoulders, wings beating and lifting him upwards._

_Desperation driving him, Trevor knew he had to stop the demon from reacquiring its powers and breaking into the world. He had to protect his family from this!_

_Soaring over the demon, he reached forward and with an only fraction of an inch, managed to beat the Forgotten One._

_**"No... No, no, noooo!"** the Forgotten One screamed as the power belonging it flew into the former human. Demon attacked, desperate to gain the power back._

_But Trevor dodged, emerging and floating in front of the gate. Once dark hair was now pale as the moon and once blue eyes were whited out, their gaze chilling the once supreme Sovereign of Darkness in its place._

_**"I yield to you...! Mercy, my liege... mercy..."** _

_There was no mercy for the demon. It would never lay a hand on the mortal world._

_A wave of power slashed through the demon, disintegrating it. The backlash of that attack affected Trevor too, hurling him backwards and out of the portal._

_¤_

_Coming to, the first thing Trevor saw was the snow hurling in the wind. The second was that he laying on the rough stone floor._

_The pain in his body was gone yet... he felt different. He could hear and see so much more. The different tones of the wind and the shades of the clouded sky._

_Closing eyes, he lifted hands to his face, exhausted._

_Then he felt them._

_Quickly withdrawing them, Trevor stared at his hands. Sharp claws had torn through his gauntlets, destroying both leather and metal._

_Sitting up, former human stared at them when the few locks of pure white hair fell to the line of his vision. He felt the fangs in his mouth._

_Starting to shake, the vampire broke into a hysteric laugh, newly grown fangs gleaming in the what light got through the clouds._

_"Is this to be my fate...?!"_

_He had hoped to perish along with the demon. But it really was true, wasn't it?_

_The fate... is **cruel.**_

_¤¤¤¤_

The soft crackling of the fire filled the silence following when the vampire had finished his tale. Orange glow created flickering shadows on the stone walls of the shallow cave they had settled in as flames leapt around the branches and twigs feeding them.

Trevor stared at the flames, his golden eyes glowing even more prominent in the light. 

As for Gabriel... Burying his head in his hands, warrior's mind was racing, everything he had just heard overwhelming him.

The Founders. An all-powerful demon. Laura. Trevor's choice to drink her blood. And his desperate battle against the fiend.

"Shit..." Though his fate sometimes wavered, Gabriel was still more pious than an average man. So he rarely resulted in baser, crude language but now...

Blinking out of his stupor, Trevor looked up as his father suddenly stood up, brown hair shielding his eyes. "Father...?"

"Goddammit, fucking shit!" Slamming his fist into the hard rock repeatedly, Gabriel cursed, each slam followed by a new curse. He would have probably kept going and eventually destroyed his gauntlets along the way if another hand had not closed around his wrist.

Trevor pulled his father away from the crumbling dent he had made to the wall. "Father..."

"Damn it," human snarled through his clenched teeth. "Again with those bastards! Again someone else had to clean up their messes!"

Sighing, Trevor knew just who his father was cursing about. The Founders. "Be at ease, Father. There's no reason for you to -"

"No reason?!" Gabriel turned around to face the vampire, his eyes blazing as he pulled his hand free. "Trevor, this... You should not have had to go through this! I destroyed the Lords of Shadow! I killed the Founders! If anyone, the responsibility of this was mine! Not yours!"

"What could you have done?" the vampire asked. "Laura's words rang true; it's been nearly thirty years! You are far from what you used to be!"

"Still! The burden, the price for my actions should not be yours to pay! If anyone, it should be me standing there as a -!"

Trevor shook his head, grabbing his father's hand again. Gently, the son held it with his own hands, mindful of his claws. "No, Father. This fate... As much as I despise it and wish that I would have perished at that moment..." Golden eyes lifted to meet blue-grey ones. "You've suffered much already, father. I'd not see you go through this too."

"Yet..." Trevor continued, his gaze falling back towards their hands. "I'd also hoped to spare you for the knowledge of this all. It would have been easier."

"Son..."

"Please... Don't call me that," Trevor interrupted, closing his eyes. "You'll always be my father but... I'm not your Trevor anymore."

"...Do you even listen yourself? Idiot."

Trevor's eyes snapped open. "What?"

Gabriel pulled his hand free and weaved his fingers through the pale hair, circling the back of his son's neck. "You make no sense, son. You curse your state and try to deny who you really are, using it as a shield and spear to drive me away. Yet you call and acknowledge me as your father, speak of accepting this fate instead of me..."

"Your words contradict each other," Gabriel said. "So now tell me straight: are you Trevor Belmont or not?"

"Father -"

"No," Gabriel cut off, tightening his grip on the vampire's hair. "Either you still acknowledge yourself and your family or not. In that case, give me another name for you and cease calling me father!"

"Dammit... I can't -"

"It's a simple decision," Gabriel pushed, tired of this circling. "What is your name?"

"Stop, please -!"

"What is it?!"

"It's not so simple -!"

"What. Is. Your. Name?!"

"I -"

"ANSWER ME!"

"TREVOR!"

Ripping his hair from the human's hold, the vampire shifted into the mist, reforming back only a few steps away. "It's Trevor..."

Gabriel smiled and stepped forward, lifting his arms and opening them. "Come here, son."

The vampire looked at the human, those soft-spoken words making him yearn for his father's comfort like he was still a child and not a grown man. Hesitating first, Trevor took a step. Then another, before giving in and dashing forward.

Gabriel closed his arms around other's wide shoulders. Trevor had grown slightly taller than his father but now that height difference was nowhere to be seen. White-haired head tucked under Gabriel's stubbled chin, the vampire wound his arms around his father's torso and squeezed his eyes shut.

"We'll make through this," Gabriel promised for a second time.

***

"Damn", Gabriel hissed as he brushed the moist cloth across the wound on his chest, staining the fabric crimson. He preferred to clean injuries first if possible before using the light magic. Whoever wants dirt closed inside the skin when it knitted back together?

Having undressed his upper body, Gabriel rinsed the cloth in the cracked clay jar found at the edge of the forest held over the campfire. Not the most ideal way to boil water to purify it, but they did not have anything else.

Footsteps came from the mouth of the cave, with Trevor rounding the corner carrying a large raven with him. Setting the bird by the fire, the vampire sighed. "Sorry, I could not find anything better. These woods are... rather devout of life."

"Understandable, these were technically doorsteps to Zobek's lands," Gabriel said. "Come now, Trevor. You know, there could be worse animals to eat. Like eels."

The vampire actually shuddered before glaring at his father. "You are never going to let that one go, are you?"

Laughing at his son's sour expression, Gabriel grinned. "Never. It was far too funny."

Huffing annoyedly, the vampire sat down, about a hand reach from the human and began to pluck the feathers off the bird.

Still smiling, Gabriel returned to wipe the last remnants of the dirt and sand from the wound before letting the blood-soaked rag to fall on the ground and evoked his light magic. As the bluish glow died, he noticed Trevor watching him. Or rather how those golden eyes had locked on the bloodstained cloth. "Trevor?"

The voice snapping him out of the trance, the vampire blinked before gritting his teeth and whipping his head back towards the task he was in the middle of.

Gabriel noticed the trembling of those long fingers.

"...Trevor," father began, knowing he was most likely approaching a dangerous territory. "You have both Laura's powers that originated from Carmilla, the Vampire Queen herself AND powers of the Forgotten One... Yet you were so weak during the fight in the castle."

The vampire tensed.

"Vampires do not need blood like humans need food," human continued speaking. "They can starve yes, but not die from it. The blood for vampires is a source of strength, of power."

"I once saw a vampire that had been trapped in a crypt for a long time. The thing was starved," Gabriel locked his eyes on his son, Trevor feeling those eyes on him. "Pale, emaciated, skin crackling. Eyes yellow."

For a while, neither of them spoke. Trevor skewered the cleaned morsel on the wooden pole and set it over the fire. "I won't drink blood."

"You're starving yourself, Trevor."

"...So?" Trevor said quietly, his back still towards the human. "Like you said, I can't die from it."

"Maybe not, but you'll be weak and that could end you," Gabriel's mind returned to the battle. "You turned into a mist twice and could barely stand. Let alone put up the fight against that blood."

"It wasn't trying to kill me."

"That is not the point!" Gabriel shouted and reached out, grabbing Trevor's wrist, turning the vampire to face him. "The point is that if you won't feed, you'll suffer!"

"A vampire hunter telling a vampire to feast on human blood?!" Trevor snarled.

"A father telling his son to stop causing damage to himself!"

Gritting his teeth, Trevor lowered his head so the white hair shielded his face. When he spoke, the vampire's voice was laced with pain. "You do not understand what it is like, Father. I smell the blood, _hear_ it running through the veins of everybody near me and it's driving me insane. I told you before, didn't I? My throat feels like sand and teeth ache to the point I want to tear them off, just to ease the agony. Like a man starving for a single drop of water in the desert, just a thousand times worse."

"I do not want it, yet I crave for it. Crave for the warmth it would bring. For the strength that it would give. I'd drink to the point I'd pass out if possible!" Curling his fingers and clenching his fist, the hand that Gabriel was holding shook. "I won't prey on humans. Not even if it means an eternity of agony. If I must exist as a vampire, then I will do so on my own terms!"

Gabriel's eyes softened, letting Trevor's hand free and moving his palm against the pale cheek, moving few strands of white hair aside. "What if you'd drink mine?"

Almost giving himself a whiplash, Trevor's head shot up. "What? You can't be serious!"

"But I am. A slight blood loss is a small price if I could help you. You wouldn't be hunting humans."

Trevor shook his head. "...Why? Why are you doing this, Father?"

Gabriel let Trevor retreat. "Why do you even need to ask? There's no one who matters more to me than you, Trevor. You're my son, my only child. Is that not a reason enough?"

"Allowing a vampire to feed on you... That is going against everything you've ever taught."

"I tend to bend the rules when needed. You know this."

Letting out a hollow chuckle, the vampire turned his head and looked towards the fire for a moment. "Indeed."

Waiting for Trevor to make his mind, Gabriel stayed silent. True, normally Gabriel would never allow such a thing to happen. But this was not just any vampire. This was his son.

So he decided to fight down the years-long training and instinct to lash out at the mere sight of those deadly fangs. He had met them so many times during his long life, always seeking to end him and drain every drop of his lifeblood away. But if it meant help for Trevor, Gabriel could bear that pain again willingly.

Trevor moved again, sighing. "I do not like this, Father." Golden eyes turned back towards the human. "I do not wish to harm you. To give in to this... thirst. I fear that I might not be able to control it."

"You can," Gabriel said. "You're a Belmont after all. There's no one as stubborn and headstrong as us."

Snorting, Trevor managed to crack a weak smile before growing serious again. "Are you absolutely sure of this?"

"Dammit son, how many times do I need spell it for you?" Gabriel asked. "Do I need to pour it down your throat myself?"

"Do you actually understand the risk? What if it just worsens it so much that I'll devour every single human from here on?!"

"Or it may help you to fight the hunger better when your body is not on the brink of starvation and nearly crazy for the blood."

Trevor stared at him for a minute, before sighing. His father was so... pigheaded sometimes. "That is... absolutely crazy and risky reasoning..." 

But then again, so was he. Like father, like son indeed.

Finally moving to sit on his knees in front the human, Trevor gave in and held out his hand. "Give your hand. If we are doing this, I'm not risking your life more than necessary by going for the throat." 

Letting the vampire to curl his fingers around his arm, Gabriel was puzzled for a moment when Trevor reached for Gabriel's weapon belt with his other hand and pulled out one of his daggers, placing it on human's free hand.

Moving the hand holding the dagger, Trevor manoeuvred it so that the tip of the blade pointed directly towards the vampire's heart. "If needed, bury it deep, Father."

Gabriel saw that Trevor was deadly serious. Though he did not want to do it, he understood the vampire's reasoning. Nodding, the human secured his grip on the weapon.

Gulping, Trevor moved his eyes from blue-grey eyes to the bare wrist of his father's. The sight of the veins and the scent of blood emanating from beneath the skin made his fangs lengthen as he moved the human's hand closer. Parting the dark lips, the tips of long white fangs gleamed in the light of the fire as a throaty growl left Trevor's throat. Against the desire to just chomp down and tear the flesh savagely off, Trevor sank his fangs into the soft flesh as gently as he could. Hitting the vein, blood filled the vampire's mouth instantly, his pupils going wide as the taste hit him.

Unlike when he had drunk Laura's blood, this time it tasted so much different. Gone was the poisonous liquid that had seared through his being, crippling him in pain.

This was so much better.

So sweet, better than anything he had ever tasted! Oh, why had he kept from this for so long?! Hot, viscous nectar dripped down his chin while the vampire tried to swallow it all, feeling how his cold body thawed and the power filled him. 

_"-vor."_

He was getting drunk from both the blood itself and the effects it had. Digging his fangs deeper, Trevor was determined to get it all. And then he'd find another to drain. And another. And...-

_"Trevor!"_

A sharp pain roused himself as the silver dagger sank for half an inch into his flesh. Golden eyes flew open (when had he closed them?) and Trevor pulled back, withdrawing his fangs from Gabriel's flesh.

Pushing himself away from the human, the vampire breathed heavily, his mouth and chin drenched in blood. Lifting his head, Trevor watched as his father dropped the dagger and reached for the spare cloth to wrap around the wound.

"Father..." Trevor wiped his mouth clean on his palm, glancing for the stains for a second before wrenching his attention away.

"I'm fine, son..." Gabriel breathed. "Just... little... dizzy..."

Trevor managed to grasp the human as he crumbled down on the ground. Easing him on his back, Trevor settled so the human's head was on his lap and began to press the cloth tightly on the wound, stopping the bleeding. The scent of blood was still heavy in the air and dark whispers at the back of his mind tried to coax Trevor to lean down and finish his meal. What a waste to leave so blindly trustful and now defenceless human alive...

Shaking his head, Trevor pushed the thoughts away. No, he will not do it. He lost control once but no more! Father put so much faith in his son and he would not let it be in vain! No more than he already has, anyway...

***

It took about two hours for Gabriel to stir, bleary eyes slowly coming to focus. Feeling lethargic, the warrior blinked and looked up, meeting golden-black eyes gazing at him worriedly. "Trevor," Gabriel mumbled, recalling what had happened. "...are you well?"

A scoff escaped the vampire. "You're the one currently suffering from the bloodloss, Father. Want to think that again?"

Groaning, Gabriel started to sit up but was pushed back down on the ground while Trevor shifted so Gabriel's head was now placed on a bundle of cloth instead of the vampire's legs. Said vampire sat next to the human with legs crossed. "That was foolish, Father."

"Not the first time..." elderly warrior closed his eyes for a moment when his vision wavered again. "Ugh, now if the world would just stop spinning..."

Rolling his eyes, the vampire adopted a disapproving look. "I told it would end up badly."

"Correction: we agreed that it COULD end badly. Or not. I'm still alive, right?"

"Doesn't it get tiring for being such smartass?"

"Fathers' privilege, just wait until the time you can do it for Simon."

Sighing, the vampire deduced that maybe his father could at least sit up and reached for the jar filled with water and helped Gabriel up to take a sip from it. After that, Trevor pulled the cooked raven of the fire, handing it to the human.

Accepting the meat, Gabriel ate slowly. He had dealt with bloodloss many times and knew to take things slow. With how much blood Trevor drunk, it might take a day or two until Gabriel could travel. Focusing on the vampire, Gabriel watched as Trevor set the jar back to the fire, starting to boil a new batch of water. One meal of blood did not cause any visual changes for his hair was still white and skin damaged. "How are you feeling, son?"

Sitting down, Trevor looked at his hand, flexing fingers and shut his eyes for a while. "A little better, I guess," he finally answered. "The thirst is still present but not as profound as before." Ignoring his father's _I-told-you-so_ look, Trevor grudgingly admitted, mostly to himself. "Not feeling so damn exhausted either. Don't," he quickly looked at the human. "say it."

Gabriel opted to let the comment at the tip of his tongue to die and instead took another bite of the bird. For a while, the silence settled into the cave, filled only by the crackling of the fire and the sound of Gabriel's eating. Finally tossing the bones into the flames, Gabriel spoke again. "A day or two. Then we could set towards home."

"...I don't know if I can face them, father," Trevor said quietly. "Not like this."

"You can, Trevor. Because no Belmont is a coward," Gabriel before smiling. "Even if your wife can be as scary as any hell-beast."

That got a snort out of the vampire, "Why do you think I married her? She was expecting me to propose and I was too damn scared not to do it."

Laughing, Gabriel leaned his back against the cave wall. "Guess you need a strong, a bit crazy woman for a Belmont, huh?"

"Honestly, I'm dreading the day Simon finds a spouse..." Trevor said. He then grew somber. "But I was serious, Father. What if... I lose the control again? If I'd hurt either Sypha or God forbid, Simon...!"

Gabriel moved closer to the vampire and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You sell yourself short, son. You managed to get the control back earlier, did you not? I had barely pressed the dagger down when you backed off. And you were practically in the midst of the bloodlust."

"Still..."

"...This is not about the blood, right?" Gabriel interrupted him. "You fear their reactions."

"..." The vampire remained silent, confirming his father's suspicions.

"Trevor," the father spoke and it was the same tone he used when he had been training the younger warrior in aspects of the battle. "Do you truly think Sypha's love for you is so weak that she would turn you down due something you had a little control over? And Simon." Gabriel lifted a hand, preventing the vampire from speaking. "He may be confused and a little bit scared, yes but he's got a good head on his shoulders. He'll understand, that I'm sure of."

Trevor listened before closing his eyes and turning his head sideways to the rest against his father's shoulder. Gabriel blinked at the sudden action, but smiled gently, wounding his arm over Trevor's shoulders.

Trevor's voice sounded out, subdued. "I miss them. There was no day or night that passed that I did not think about them or you, Father."

Gabriel sighed, lifting his hand and gently smoothed the white strands of hair. "We missed you too, son." He placed a gentle kiss on the top of Trevor's head.

"It is time to go home."

***

Poking the dying embers absentmindedly, the vampire stared at the glowing flecks dancing in the air, reflecting the same colour as was in his eyes.

Movement beside him brought Trevor's attention to the slumbering man. His father was in deep sleep, shifting occasionally in his rest.

Metal creaked as Trevor removed his gauntlet, revealing long fingers with sharps claws. Carding them carefully through his father's warm brown hair, the vampire sighed. "I understand what you're trying to prove me, Father. I do."

"...You were wrong about me, though." Withdrawing his fingers, the vampire smiled sadly. "Forgive me."

***

Stirring from his sleep Gabriel groaned, stretching before sitting up. The morning sunlight shone into the cave, the still warm residue of ashes from the campfire floating in the air. Gabriel's injuries were no longer throbbing, the light magic had done its job and the bloodloss plagued him no more.

Travelling would be easy now. If they'd get a horse or two from somewhere, he and Trevor would be home in about a month.

"We should get going as soon as... -" Gabriel looked over his shoulder to where Trevor had settled for the night.

There was no-one.

"Trevor?" Gabriel scrambled to get up, the current made by his movement scattering the ashes around the ground. "Trevor?!"

The cave was empty.

"TREVOR!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I honestly wanted to slap Trevor few times on the face while writing this... Okay, several times. And punch him in the gut.
> 
> He's pretty much conflicted and messed up. And hellbend to self-loathing. But major difference to Dracul has to be that Trevor's got no hatred towards the humanity. He's just pretty much "Shit, I'm a vampire. What the hell I'm supposed to do or feel?!"
> 
> Gabriel's just ready to help his baby boy despite anyway.
> 
> And like _Evil+Falcon+of+Doom_ said in their comment; Trevor's lack of power is due the mixture of being so recently turned and refusing to drink blood. He's so new to this Prince of Darkness-stuff... Poor baby.
> 
> Ugh, the dialogue parts from the DLC nearly killed me. I had to cut and adabt them to fit for this. And the fight between the Forgotten One and Trevor went through several changes compared to the original. Logically, the blast should not have that much effect on Trevor to hurl him out of the Prison but I could come up no other logical explanation why he would just walk out like Gabe did.  
> And the Vampire Killer had to be lost in some other way instead of Trevor breaking it. Because why would he do it and if he tried to commit suicide later, it would have been pretty easy if he had the Vampire Killer.
> 
> I apologies if you find that little humorous and snarky bits do not fit in the theme but I simply cannot write without adding at least something like them.
> 
> Originally, he was supposed to return with Gabe straight away, but it sounded little too easy. Rest assured, he's sooo going to regret that last decision to disappear... *evil laughter*


	3. Chapter 3

The charcoal-grey mare neighed before lowering her head and began to munch the hay Gabriel had brought to her. Patting her on the neck, he picked up a worn brush and began to work. Feeling the chill while dressed only in a plain white shirt and simple pants, he noticed how the evening air was crispy, with the hint of winter in it. Wouldn't be surprising if there's frost on the ground in the morning...

Letting out of a deep sigh, Gabriel watched his breath dancing in the air as he continued brushing horse's flanks. In last month, it became two years since Trevor had disappeared during the night and leaving no trace of him. After searching the surrounding area they had been without a trace of the vampire, Gabriel could not but to return home, empty-handed and heavy-hearted.

_¤¤¤¤_

_"Grandfather!"_

_Dismounting the horse he had managed to acquire during his journey, Gabriel was tackled by Simon, hugging him with all his little boy strength. Grouching down, the weary warrior enveloped his grandson in an embrace and ruffled his red hair. "Hey there. I think you've grown for an inch or two, young man."_

_"Really?!"_

_"No, wait," Gabriel pressed his hand on top of Simon's head and grinned. "My mistake, it was just the hair."_

_"Don't tease, Grandfather!" Simon laughed before he pulled back to look around. "Where's Papa?"_

_Throat clamping shut, Gabriel did not answer. Instead, he ran a hand through his grandson's hair and closed his eyes._

_"Gabriel! You're home!"_

_Looking up, he saw Sypha emerging in the doorway, looking relieved beyond any words. But when Gabriel did not respond her smile, her entire appearance changed to the one of pure dread. Sypha's gaze swept over the yard but realizing that only Gabriel had arrived, her green eyes grew pained. Meeting his stare, she unconsciously touched the pendant around her neck._

_"No..." She breathed out. "So he is -"_

_Gabriel rose, Simon's arms slipping around him as he came to his daughter-in-law who had covered her mouth, desperately holding her sobs._

_"Sypha." Gabriel gathered her in his arms, Sypha's arms folded against his chest plate as she took rapid breaths. "I'm sorry, I -"_

_"It is not your fault," she shook her head. "I knew there was always a change for -"_

_"No." Gabriel interrupted her, pushing her back with his large hands holding her shoulders. "You do not understand. Trevor's -" He paused to take a deep breath. "Trevor is alive. At least, in a sense..."_

_Sypha's head shot up, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What? Then why is he not -"_

_Shaking his head, Gabriel motioned towards the house. "Let's go inside and I'll explain." Looking over his shoulder, he called for his grandson. "Simon, you too. This is something you need hear."_

_"Gabriel, what is going on...?" Sypha asked, worried by the haunted look on her father-in-law's eyes._

_"Trust me, you need to sit down for this."_

_¤_

_That had to be one of the longest night of his entire life._

_Simon had been exited to the point where his grandfather fought the legions of monsters but soon his expression changed. He was young but smart, having learned about the beings of darkness early. And he knew what it meant when Gabriel told what had happened to his own father._

_Sypha herself was horrified, hand on her mouth as she sat at the end of the table, listening to his tale. In the end, she had stared at the table's surface for a long time, tears running silently down her cheeks._

_"A vampire..."_

_If her reaction was hard to take, Simon's was just heart-breaking. The boy did not cry or yell. The only thing he did was to ask:_

_"Is Papa ever coming home?"_

_¤¤¤¤_

The time passed. The Brotherhood heard of his return and came to inquire about his findings. Infuriated with them, Gabriel slammed the door in their faces, snarling that he found only legions of monsters without a leader. And the evidence that his son had perished. Which was not that far from the truth. The Order sent their condolences, offering to devote Trevor a place in the Brotherhood mausoleum for his heroic deeds. Gabriel declined, saying that the only place where Trevor would rest would be in the crypt they had built, mainly for Marie but it would probably act as the Belmont family crypt in later years.

As for Trevor... Gabriel had thought of looking for him, but he could not leave Sypha and Simon alone. Not for an extended period of time. He had tried to seek out the rumours of the white-haired vampire but there was nothing. Even the activity in the North had toned down. Hopefully, that meant that Trevor had not returned there.

Gabriel was suddenly roused from his thoughts as the horse threw her head and stomped her hooves against the ground, neighing in fear. Thankfully, Gabriel had experience of calming down animals. A useful skill, especially in his profession. "Woah there, girl! Easy! What is it?" He patted the horse's nose as she finally calmed.

That is to say, that reaction seemed like she had smelled some predator nearby. Frowning, Gabriel put aside the brush and picked up pitchfork on his way as he stepped out of the small stable into the darkness. The only lights that illuminated the surroundings were what shined through the windows and the moon itself. Eyeing the darkness, he scanned the treeline. Better chase it off if it was a bear or...

Gabriel's eyes locked in a dark patch between two oaks. A pair of golden-yellows eyes glowed in the dark as the light from the house hit them just right. They too were locked on Gabriel.

A wolf?

As he squinted while moving his makeshift weapon in a better position, the animal moved, stepping out of the shrubbery. A wolf, indeed. But not very common one. Most of the wolves in these lands were plain brown or grey, sometimes black. But never had Gabriel seen a wolf with a pure white fur around here. The wolf did not advance further. Instead, it sat on its haunches, never breaking the eye contact. Although it lowered its head, hunching the shoulders as it continued to look at Gabriel cautiously.

Frowning, the human was perplexed. Why did it look like it was ashamed or-...

Blue eyes widened. Wait, was it possible? There had been some records of such cases, but...

Following his gut, he stepped forward. "Trevor?"

Pointed ears lowered against the wolf's skull as it let out a whine, black and gold eyes closing. When they opened again, the wolf's form seemed to melt in shadows that shifted and grew, morphing. As the shadows fell away, Gabriel was greeted by a familiar face. "...Father."

Gabriel was already a halfway across the yard when the pitchwork hit the grass and in few more steps, he had thrown his arms around the vampire. Though Gabriel was trying to crush him, Trevor himself was shocked, keeping his clawed hands up. Hesitating, the vampire finally made his mind, lowered them and returned the embrace.

"Son," Gabriel pulled back but kept his hands Trevor's upper arms, taking in the sight of his child. "You came home." He was still clad in same open, armoured coat with golden accents. His hair was still pure white and eye still black and golden but there were some changes. The greyish skin on Trevor's face looked more solid, the cracks gone and he did not look emaciated anymore, the body all healthy and firm muscle now.

Sighing, Trevor lowered his head, closing his eyes. "Father, I.. I know that whatever I say won't -"

Gabriel's hands rose to cup the vampire's cheeks, cutting him off as he leant forward and pressed their foreheads together. "Don't. I'm just happy that you're alright."

Golden eyes stared at the human before he gave in, closing them and leaning to those familiar hands that warmed his cold flesh. Ever since he had been a child, the mere touch from his father had been able to calm Trevor down and comfort him, be it a childhood fear or a nightmare.

"I searched for you, son."

"I know... I'm sorry, but I had to leave.

"Why?"

"Why?" Trevor pulled back, sighing before continuing, "Because I could not trust myself. Not around you, less of Sypha or Simon."

Gabriel frowned. "Did we not go over this already?

"Forgive me but you're naive, Father. You know what vampires are like; how bloodthirsty they can become. Yet you brush all the facts aside when it is I who is involved. You're always been like this." Bright golden eyes stared into the human. "I could not come home. Not until I knew how to control myself. 

"And now you are here." 

The vampire did not answer that. Instead, he took few steps and rounded his father, looking towards the house, unnatural eyes filling with longing. Gabriel did not say anything about that. Instead, he stepped next to the vampire and put his hand on Trevor's shoulder.

"Son, where have you been these two years?"

"All around the land. Hiding from the mankind, avoiding the rest of my kind, training and learning." Turning his eyes away from the house, Trevor lifted his hand, the sharp tips of the gauntlet reflecting the warm light. "Like said; I had to find out a way to control my thirst. And it could not be done if I was with you."

"You could have said so. Instead of just disappearing like that," his father scolded his vampiric son who smiled slightly at that.

"Would you have let me go?"

"Point taken," Gabriel conceded. "I'm at least glad you did not go back to that horrid place."

"..."

"Trevor," Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me -"

"I had to," the vampire said. "I needed to -"

"You went back there?! What in world compelled you to do something so idiotic?!"

The vampire flinched at the tone, feeling like he was a small boy being reprimanded for a prank or something similar. "I had to retrieve something, that's why!"

"And what could have possibly been so important to risk yourself?!"

"Your old relics," Trevor answered. "They had been left near the portal after my transformation but I possibly could not leave them behind!"

Gabriel carded his fingers through his brown hair. "So you intentionally step into that place, knowing that cursed blood was around, just waiting to try to entrap you again, for pieces of old junk."

"I fooled it," the vampire said. "It was... elated when I came back and did not react violently. So I had enough time to grab the relics and flee before it could retaliate properly. Yes, there was fighting but this time I was stronger, something it did not expect."

Gabriel sighed. "It was still reckless of you, son." He then smiled. "A bloody Belmont indeed."

Trevor actually smiled and Gabriel slabbed him to the shoulder, before looking towards their house and back to Trevor. "They miss you, son."

Trevor followed his gaze. "As do I them." Glancing back at his father, the vampire looked suddenly very vulnerable. "Do I have any right to even wish to see them...?"

"Do not be an idiot, Trevor," Gabriel adapted again that same scolding tone. "Of course you do. And frankly, I'd say that you owe them."

"Do they know?"

Gabriel merely lifted an eyebrow for the question, causing Trevor to sigh. "Right. A useless question." Of course, his father would not lie to his family. Not after everything the Brotherhood had done.

Gabriel snorted at Trevor's expression before speaking. "You need to see them sooner or later."

"I know..."

The human smiled supportively and the hand on the vampire's shoulder squeezed lightly. "What if I ask your wife come here? Just her, first."

Trevor tensed before closing his eyes. When those golden eyes opened again, he met Gabriel's eyes and nodded. The human gave one last squeeze before removing his hand, starting to walk towards the house. As he reached the door, with hand on the handle Gabriel looked over his shoulder, giving the vampire a stern glare. "Stay." That caused Trevor to look slightly disgruntled as he crossed his arms, throwing an unamused glare towards the human.

Gabriel stepped into the house. Sypha was just putting away the cleaned dishes from their dinner while Simon sat on the floor in front of the hearth, reading a book. Sypha looked towards him as Gabriel closed the door and motioned for his grandson. "Simon, how about I show you how to sharpen the silver daggers properly? They should be stored at the back. Why don't you get them and the tools?"

Eight-year-old blinked before putting his book aside. "Alright." The boy hopped on his feet and made his way towards the back.

Sypha frowned, confused. "Gabriel?" It was closing the time for Simon to go bed, why would her father-in-law now teach him to maintain weaponry?

Inclining towards the door with his head, Gabriel gave her a grin before following Simon to the back of the house. "Do not let him off too easily."

Her eyes widened as she swished her head towards the front door, long red locks waving by the movement. Staring at the wooden surface, Sypha grasped her pendant as she pushed the door open. Her heart was pounding as she stepped out into the night, green eyes adjusting to the darker surroundings before she gasped.

Just at the edge of the light, she saw the vampire standing. His attire was unfamiliar, more elaborate than what her husband had been wearing. The pale, greyish skin, the hair as pale as the very moon itself and bright golden eyes with black sclera; they were all strange features but the shape of his face... The way those strange eyes softened and filled with warmth as they caught hers...

It truly was her husband.

Crystal-clear tears ran down her cheeks as she approached the vampire. "Trevor..."

The vampire's eyes glowed overly brightly as he took a step forward to meet her, stopping just as they were less than an hand-reach from each other. "Sypha -"

_SLAP!_

His head jerked to the side from more because of the surprise than that of the strength of the slap. Shocked, Trevor pressed hand on his cheek, looking down at his wife, who was still holding her own hand up.

Sypha had lowered her head, her bangs shadowing her face. "That is for not telling us about what happened!"

"L-love?"

_SLAP!_

"That's for hiding in that horrible place for nearly half a year!"

_SLAP!_

"That's for disappearing and leaving your father just like that!"

_SLAP!_

"And that's for last two years!"

She lifted her head, green eyes blazing so intensively that the vampire flinched, feeling a sudden desire to high-tail out of here. "Sypha... I'm -"

_SLAP!_

Alright, that last one stung as Sypha infused her hand with the holy magic, the vampire's skin feeling like it was pricked with multiple needles. Trevor actually hissed at the sensation; it was not painful, only slightly uncomfortable. "What was that for?!"

"That's because I'm happy that you are home!" 

The vampire did not get to respond as at that moment his wife threw herself at him. Sypha pressed her head against his collarbone, arms gripping the labels of the navy coat. Slowly, the vampire's arms entwined around her smaller form, her arms resting against his chilled chest. Lowering his head, Trevor pressed his cheek in the waves of red hair, inhaling the familiar scent. It was even more potent now to his sharper senses but the effect was still same; it filled him with warmth. Blind for the flow of time, they stood in the crisp night-air, the light from the windows reflecting from both Trevor's armour and Sypha's fire-red locks. 

Finally ending their embrace, they withdrew but still held on each other's arms. Trevor looked down at her, his eyes glittering in the light as he lifted a hand, mindful of the sharp metal points, the leather palm of his gauntlet pressed against her skin as he cupped her cheek. Brushing her tears off with the back of his fingers of his other hand. "I missed you, my love. So much."

Sypha reached out, pulling him down to press her lips against Trevor's cold ones. Closing her eyes, she moved her arms behind his head, burying them in pale hair. She would have wanted to turn the kiss deeper, but Trevor felt reluctant to open his mouth. She pulled back, understanding the reason. Instead of pushing the topic, this time it was she brushed a hand over the vampire's cheek. "Have you come home for good, husband?"

The vampire closed his eyes, lowering his head. "Sypha... You're the most incredible woman I ever met. Compassionate and kind-hearted, yet so full of fire. It is a privilege to be able to call you mine." Trevor whispered, taking her hands in his own larger ones, leaning down to lay a soft kiss on them. "I'm not what I was once, but... If you'd still have me, I'm yours forever." Looking at her, he hesitated before asking softly, "Could you accept a monster for your side?"

Smiling, Sypha freed her hands and embraced him again. "I'd have my husband, the one I fell in love with. Vampire or not, I am not letting you go, Trevor Belmont."

Trevor did not speak, only ran his fingers through her hair as she rested under his chin. Deep in his heart, he had known that Sypha would not reject him. But his head had been filled with doubt, despite all his father's reassuring. To hear it from Sypha herself, Trevor finally allowed himself to believe it. 

_Love, compassion and tenderness. You must leave it all behind._

_"You were wrong, Laura,"_ Trevor thought to himself. _"I may be a monster but I cannot banish my feelings, especially the ones for my family..."_

"Dear?"

Returning from his musings, the vampire shook his head and smiled to Sypha. "Nothing, love. Just thinking about something told to me." He then turned back to serious. "I owe you an explanation, though."

"You father already told what happened when he came back," Sypha said. "If you do not want to, I understand."

"No, I meant about these past two years. Father already heard the overall story but you all deserve the complete story."

Sypha did not have time to answer when suddenly they hear the door opening, the wood creaking as it was pulled open. Gabriel stood in the doorway, holding the door ajar. Staring at the pair, he grinned. "Well, do I still have a son or should I look for a new one?"

Sypha pulled back and stepped aside, to stand diagonally from Trevor as she laughed, her voice ringing in the night. "Oh, he's fine. A little battered up, but overall intact."

Trevor scoffed at that but the light smile on his lips ruined the offended look while his father smirked at him. "Good thing. It would be such a hassle to look for a replacement." He then opened the door wider. "Now, there's one more person to join this reunion."

The door opened all the way and now both Sypha and Trevor saw the young boy standing next to Gabriel, holding on to the loose label of his shirt.

Trevor's eyes began to sting. "Simon..."

The red-headed boy stood still, his brown eyes wide as he stared at the vampire.

"Simon, aren't you going to say anything to your father?" Sypha asked softly, moving out of the way so both father and son could have a clear view of each other.

Trevor swallowed before taking a step forward. But Simon flinched and hid behind Gabriel, making the vampire halt his steps, a hurtful look crossing his face. Gabriel, seeing the pain on Trevor's face, put a hand on Simon's shoulder, drawing his attention. 

"Simon," the grandfather began. "You do remember what we talked about, don't you? I know he's changed, but he's still your father." Gabriel smiled encouragingly at his grandson before changing a look with Trevor, who nodded and knelt down on one knee. "Give your father a change, would you?"

Simon looked at his grandfather, before taking a deep breath and stepping outside from the doorway. He approached the vampire while Sypha moved to stand near her father-in-law. Reaching his father, Simon stopped in front of him, shifting his weight from the foot to foot nervously.

Trevor smiled warmly, slowly lifting his hand. When Simon did not back-off, he carded the metal-clad fingers through his short hair. "Looks like you've grown a lot, Simon."

His son suddenly sniffed and gripped his father's wrist with a smaller hand, brown eyes beginning to overflow as his voice quivered, "Papa?"

Nodding, the vampire was suddenly tackled as Simon collided against him, trying to wound his small arms around his father's torso. Trevor closed his child in an embrace, one arm across Simon's shoulders and one hand at the back of his head. Leaning his own head down, the vampire hushed him as the boy began to sobbing, the hiccups cutting the words as he tried to speak. "Papa _*hic*_ yo- _*hic*_ you are _*hic*_ back..."

"Yes, my son." Trevor stood up, holding Simon in his arms as he cried, arms around the vampire's neck. "I'm not leaving you again, Simon. I promise."

***

All four of them had gathered around the worn dinner table, the fire in the hearth happily cracking. Gabriel sat across his son while Sypha had seated herself at the end of the table, parallel from men. Simon still had a death grip on his father's coat as he sat on the vampire's lap, refusing to let go of his father while Trevor had removed the armour parts from his attire.

"Simon, Si -" Trevor had to pull his head back as his son tried to open the vampire's mouth to get a look at his fangs. His wife had hidden her smile behind her hand while Gabriel chuckled. "Son, could you stop, please?"

"Can I have fangs too?"

"NO!" Three voices shouted all at the same time before Trevor coughed. "That is not a good idea, son. Let's just stick with one vampire in the family, alright?"

Simon pouted. Those fangs did look pretty impressive.

"Simon, it's late. You should go to the bed," Sypha said, knowing that her son gets moody when tired. And the grown-ups still had a lot of to talk about.

"I don't want to," Simon shook his head.

"Simon."

"No!" His grip on the vampire tightened, ignoring his mother's order. 

Noticing it, Trevor run his fingers through Simon's hair. "You should listen to your mother, Simon."

Simon chewed his lower lip, ducking his head down.

Knowing his child so well, Trevor easily sensed that something was deeply bothering Simon. "Son, what is it?"

"Papa," the boy lifted his head to look up at the vampire, his brown eyes suddenly filled with fear, tears threatening to fall. "Will... will you still be here in the morning?"

Gabriel and Sypha shared a look between them as the understanding settled over all three grown-ups; Simon was terrified that Trevor would vanish again.

The pale-haired vampire let out a small breath, sharp-clawed fingers gently brushing the corners of his child's eyes as the first tears flowed down. "Simon -"

"Promise! Please! Say that you'll not leave again, Papa!"

Trevor smiled warmly as he wiped boy's tears away with the back of his cold hand. "Son, I promise; I'll be there when you wake up."

***

After Simon had finally calmed down and agreed to go bed, but only if his father took him there, the three adults could continue their conversation. Trevor closed the door to Simon's room after assuring him again that the vampire would still be here and joined his wife and father in the main room.

Gabriel took a sip from his mug, smirking at the fatigued look on his child's face. "Remembered how tiring parenting was? Now you know what I went through."

The vampire sighed. "I highly doubt I was this handful."

"No, you were worse." The elderly warrior chuckled at the glare his vampiric son gave him. "It is true; remember when you were absolutely convinced that the mermen lived in our well? And you kept throwing anything even remotely sharp down there? I still keep fishing them when drawing water."

Harrumphing, the vampire stubbornly looked aside. However, he sat back down to the table.

"Are you well, Trevor?" Sypha asked as her husband wiped palm over his face.

"I'm fine. Only hungry," the vampire said. "It has been nearly a week since I last fed."

The two humans looked at each other, sharing a concerned look. 

Noticing this, Trevor continued, "There's no need for worry. I'm not about to jump on any of you. But I do need to go find blood soon."

"Son," Gabriel began but Trevor interrupted him. "Don't worry, I do not drink human blood, Father."

"Animal, then?"

Nodding, Trevor pricked the wooden surface of the table with his index claw. "Mostly that. It took time to find out how much is enough to keep the hunger away. Also, I've fed on other monsters I've come across during these years."

Gabriel frowned. "Trevor... The last time we met, you balked at the mere mention of drinking blood but now you speak easily about it. What has changed?"

Sighing, Trevor lifted his head to meet his father's eyes before. "Remember what I told? _'If I must exist as a vampire, then I will do so on my own terms'_. I still intend to keep that vow, but you were also right. Abstaining only weakens me. The battle at the Castle... It could have been avoided or at least end up with you less injured if I had had the strength to fight properly. But I had done nothing but wallowing in self-pity for those months, barely able to use any of my new abilities. And you paid the price, Father."

"Trevor," his father rose and rounded the table to stand next to his son, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The blame is not yours. The danger has always been part of my life, as it has been yours. You know it."

Sighing, the vampire lifted his hand, placing it over his father's, in silent acceptance and gratitude.

"Maybe we should think how we are going to go from here?" Sypha said as Gabriel returned to his seat. "I'm glad you came home, husband. However, there some things that need to be figured out."

Both men nodded before Trevor spoke. "I take it that the Order is not aware my... transformation," he looked towards Gabriel, who shook his head.

"Officially, son; you are dead," Gabriel said. "The Order came after they heard that I returned, keen to learn if I discovered anything." He paused before continuing, a note of anger in his voice. "I wonder if they suspected of what had happened..."

"It is possible," Trevor frowned. "There is a change that at least the Elders knew about the Forgotten One. They already knew the connection between the Lords and Founders so it is not so far-fetched. Laura did mention that few know of the battle. Some knowledge must have survived to these days."

"They have been hiding things before," Sypha said. "And if they know of the demon, could they have made a connection between the Founders and the seal?"

"If they suspect that the seal was the source of the phenomenon, they have most likely figured out that it was the Forgotten One you went after," Gabriel pointed out, looking at Trevor. "If so, the question is: do they know that entering the prison was impossible for human and required becoming a dark being?"

Trevor pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. "You said that the Order had heard the monsters talking about a Prince, right Father?"

"True," the human nodded. "What was that anyway? That cursed blood called you one as well."

"Well, when I explored my powers, I managed to gather more knowledge from Laura's blood," Trevor said. "Apparently, the Forgotten One was the ruler of the elemental Plane of Darkness. If I recall correctly, he was called a Sovereign of Darkness. After I absorbed his powers and destroyed him, dark beings that gathered in the Castle began to call me a Prince of Darkness."

"So you practically overthrew him and ascended in his place as the ruler of Darkness," Sypha said.

The vampire sighed, pressing a palm against his face. "Trust me, it is not something I enjoy. The monsters kept gathering, swore allegiance and seemed to expect me to rule them."

"Let us hope that they aren't going to do the same here," Gabriel frowned, imagining it. "That would make the keeping the Order ignorant difficult."

"Actually, it's going to be quite opposite," Trevor removed his hand and smirked, white fangs shining. "I took some precautions and made it quite clear that none may approach this area. And none of them is better to reveal anything that might reach the ears of the Brotherhood."

Sypha blinked. "Do the monsters' loyalty run that deep?"

"Not loyalty; fear," Trevor answered before addressing his father. "You saw it in the Castle; they _fear_ me. Even if they are drawn by my powers, they also pledge themselves out of fear."

"Like the Lords," Gabriel stroke his chin. "It was often clear that while they had obedient followers, many served them to be spared from worse. Like Carmilla. She had servants outside of vampires, doubtfully many of them willing followed her. The powerful beings are the ones who held the dominion over others."

"I have no desire to be a ruler of the monsters," Trevor spat. "But I can use that for an advantage. But to return to the earlier topic; the Order knows that there was a creature that gathered others around it. Did they seem to show any knowledge that they might have suspected it being me?"

"No," Gabriel answered, frowning. "But I would be careful in any case. If they do find out, they'll be coming after you, son."

"Let them try," the vampire snarled. "I'm more concerned about what that would entail for you three. My presence here could bring trouble."

Sypha leaned over the table, placing her hand on her husband's arm that rested on the table. "Trevor, you are not going anywhere." She glared at him with stern eyes. "I did not wait years for my husband to return for him only to disappear again."

"You know, son," Gabriel joined his daughter-in-law. "If you try to vanish, you'll end up regretting it. Remember how scary your wife can be?"

Sypha glared at the older man. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing."

Trevor's eyes shifted between the two, the corner of his lips twitching before he could not hold it any longer and broke into chuckles. Both humans turned to look at the vampire, they stared at him for a moment before starting laugh as well. Such was the normal day in the House of Belmont; filled with lovable snarking and sniping at each other. After they calmed down, Gabriel rose for a moment to poke the fire, giving it some more life. The hour was well past midnight and the fatigue was beginning to make itself known, at least in humans.

"The troubles with the Order are one issue," Sypha spoke. "But we should also talk about practicalities. I'm sure that there are no objections that you live here like before? I see no reason why not to."

Trevor actually frowned. "I... I actually think it may not be such a good idea. Though I'm not worried about the bloodlust, I'm still a vampire. It... may be awkward."

Sypha gave him a pointed look, her face hardening in disapproval. "And just where did you think of living?"

"I was thinking," Trevor said as his father finished his task and leaned against the brick wall. "The crypt we build for Mother; I can stay -"

"Absolutely not," Sypha glared at him. "No husband of mine is going to live in a crypt!"

Trevor flinched at her tone. "But -"

"Suggest that again, dear and I'll hit you with holy power somewhere where it really hurts. I dare you."

"Alright, no spousal abuse, please," Gabriel took the role of a mediator. "Son, you can stay in the sunlight and we live far away enough from town. So you have no reason to not live in the house. And if we get any visitors, I assume you can hide?"

"I can," Trevor admitted. "But -"

_"Trevor."_

Swallowing, the vampire dropped the subject at his wife's warning. "I give up. But although I can walk around in day-time, there are times I may need retire into the darkness."

"Is the sunlight harmful after all?" Sypha asked, her earlier stern visage replaced by worry.

"Not actually harmful," Trevor said. "It's more of an annoyance. And tiring in long run."

"It does not seem like an issue," Gabriel leaned back and crossed his arms, addressing Sypha. "We'll act like we have been to this day; pretending that Trevor's dead. We need to make it clear to Simon that he's not to say any word about his father being alive. Well, alive in a sense of a word."

Trevor tapped his chin. "There's the issue of how people see you three faring; Simon's still a child, Sypha left the infirmary years ago and you Father, are aging. I can easily hunt for food but..."

"Though we do not need it, I ask if I could take some chores in the infirmary again, now that my _'mourning period' _is over," Sypha said. "It would support the image that we try to get by without you."__

__"Simon grows fast and it is not strange if he soon takes up some of the man's jobs," Gabriel said and glared at the vampire. "And what's this about my age? Watch it, boy. Overpowerful vampire or not, I can still give you a beating."_ _

__Trevor actually smirked, baring his fangs. "What was that? I couldn't hear you over that wheezing and creaking of joints, old man."_ _

__"Why you little -"_ _

__Sypha sighed. "Why did I marry to this family again?"_ _

__Both men actually chuckled at that before Trevor stood up, pulled her up to stand too and circled his long arms around her shoulders, bringing her into an embrace. "Cannot say but I'm for one glad for it." After pressing a kiss on her forehead, Trevor smiled. "Maybe it was my good looks when I was human?"_ _

__"Maybe," Sypha reached up and brushed few white strands of his hair aside. "Though you are still quite handsome as a vampire too."_ _

__"Should I perhaps leave you two alone?"_ _

__The couple looked over Gabriel who was smirking when Trevor suddenly turned his head in opposite direction, coughing. If it were possible, he would be slightly flushed._ _

__Giggling at the bashful look on her husband face, Sypha stepped out his arms and took Trevor's clawed hands in her own ones. "The hour is late and I know at least someone who needs sleep due to his age," Sypha eyed Gabriel who huffed irritated. "Let us retire. Tomorrow is the new day and we have a lot to do." Looking at Trevor, she continued. "You need to make sure that you'll be next to Simon when he wakes up. Or there'll be a racket guaranteed."_ _

__She then thought for a moment before smiling, causing the vampire to feel terror. "And just so you know, you are kicked out of our marital bed for a time being, my dear husband."_ _


	4. Chapter 4

A roe deer doe stepped into the snowy clearing, lifting her head and sniffing before deciding that everything was fine and began to dig the snow with her cloven hoof, searching for something edible in this crisp winter day.

The sound of string tightening was her only warning before something shot through the air, an arrow embedding itself on the flesh, hitting precisely between the ribs, tearing through the organs. The doe screamed in pain before collapsing.

"I did it!"

"Well done, Simon! Down with only one shot," Gabriel grinned.

His grandson grinned, wisps of his red hair peeking from under the grey hood he had pulled over it during their stake-out. The nearly nine-year-old boy had finally gotten his first hunting kill and was over the moon.

Gabriel chuckled as Simon ran to the doe, already pulling out the arrow and preparing it for the hauling. Just like he and Trevor had taught him. "Make sure to tie the legs properly!" He yelled a reminder.

"Done!" Simon answered. "Can we go? I want to tell Papa!"

"Heh, sure," Gabriel walked to him, reaching to the ruffle Simon's hair through the hood. "He's probably done also. So," the old warrior looked between the doe and his grandson, "want to try to haul it yourself?"

In the end, Gabriel ended up helping Simon to carry the doe to their temporal hunting camp. The charcoal mare stood calmly, tied to the wooden pole, and munching from the little bag of feed they had brought along for her. The campfire was burning despite being the middle of the day and next to it was a pile of freshly hunted hares, along with three pheasants and a boar.

Golden wolven eyes looked up as Gabriel and Simon entered the open area, the doe dragged behind them. **"Shame on you, Simon. Putting your old grandfather to do such heavy work,"** Trevor jokingly scolded his son, his voice echoing across humans' minds.

"Papa! I did it! I shot it, with just one arrow!" Simon proudly announcement.

 **"That's my boy,"** the wolf laughed. **"Guess we can leave the hunting entirely for you soon."**

Getting the doe next to other game, Gabriel mock-glared down at his son, who was simply laying on the ground, white fur dusted with snowflakes. "If not for those," he pointed at the smaller game, "I'd think you have just been lying on your lazy vampiric arse all day."

 **"Perish the thought,"** Trevor lifted his nose upwards, pretending to be offended. **"It has only been a half of a day."**

His father let out a chuckle before ruffling the wolf's fur, snorting as Trevor's tail began to thumb against the snowy ground much to his son's annoyance. "Think we had enough meat for now? The old girl can't carry much more."

Lifting himself to sit, the white wolf regarded their catch. **"This should last at least for two months, maybe longer with all the preserves still left. Even so, it would be best to return. The weather's turning foul."**

Looking at the sky, Gabriel frowned at the sight of dark clouds gathering on the horizon. "Heavy snow... Maybe even a snowstorm. If we leave now, we should reach the home well before it is on us."

The wolf shifted and in an instant, vampire-Trevor was standing next to him, his white hair nearly drowning in the surrounding white landscape. "Best get going then. Simon, start to pack up. We're leaving."

***

Soon the Belmont Trio was on their way to home. Despite Gabriel's words, their horse was a tough girl, easily carrying the doe and the boar on her back as Gabriel walked before her holding her reins. Simon had the pheasants slung over his shoulder while Trevor carried the hares, tied and slung over his wolven back.

"Hey Papa?"

 **"Hm?"** Trevor lifted his canine head. **"Yes, Simon?"**

"You know..." the boy fidgeted with the end of the rope used to tie the birds for a moment as they finally reached the main path out of the woods. "My first communion is in next month..."

 **"True,"** the vampire said. **"What of it?"**

Simon bit his lip. "Well... Grandfather and Mama are coming, so... Would... you come as well?"

Trevor fell silent for a moment but before he could answer, Gabriel spoke from the front. "Simon, you do realize that the church -"

"- is a holy ground, inaccessible for the creatures of darkness, I know," Simon frowned. "But -!"

"I understand that you want your father to be there," Gabriel cut his grandson off. "It is a milestone on young man's life. But-"

 **"Do not worry, Simon. I'll come,"** this time it was Trevor who interrupted his father.

"You will?" Both humans spoke simultaneously.

Vampire gave them a wolfish smile. **"Holy objects so far have done me no harm. I'd wager that a church is not much of problem either."**

"You don't sound sure," Gabriel frowned.

 **"Because I'm not. The only way to know is to -"** Trevor's ears suddenly snapped forward, the words dying as his nose picked up new scents.

 **"Dammit..."** The vampire muttered, quickly jogging next to Gabriel. **"Father, the hares! We are getting company!"**

Obeying, Gabriel just about made it to slung the game over his shoulder as they heard scrunching of the snow and neighs of horses. Along the path, behind the curve and snow-clad trees came a group of riders, heavy stomping of horses sending snow fluttering around as they approached Belmonts.

As they slowed down just before the trio, Gabriel swore silently. Even clad with heavy winter cloaks, you could still see the crimson armour they wore.

The Brotherhood soldiers.

Directing their mare at the side of the road, Gabriel hoped that they would just past them without any incident.

Of course, they had no such luck.

The leader of the knights prompted his steed closer as the rest stopped completely. Halting his horse just a few feet from Belmonts, the heavily scarred man nodded in greeting towards Gabriel, whose blue eyes rivalled the winter in coldness. "Greetings, Gabriel Belmont. Good hunting luck, I presume?"

Gritting his teeth, Gabriel begrudgingly nodded back. "Indeed. And thank God for that. It takes work to feed a family after all."

"That I do not doubt," the knight said. "Quite a catch still. Any of yours, young man?" He addressed Simon.

"...The doe," boy said carefully, shifting little closer to his father who stared at the men with unblinking golden eyes.

"A marvellous job," the man said. "You really catch up with -"

Gabriel interrupted him, "Forgive me, but I'd really want to reach home before the snow starts to pile up." Nudging their horse back to moving, he waved Simon to follow, "My daughter-in-law must be wait -"

"Is that _a wolf?_ " Came a question from one of the soldiers standing farther away, drawing the attention to the canine next to Simon. The leader's eyes narrowed as he scanned the beast's appearance.

"Oh no," Gabriel quickly answered as he stopped, glancing over his shoulder at Trevor. "Got this one as a puppy from a town which had a problem with restless spirits. One of the dogs had a bit of mishap with a stray with wolf blood. Only one in the litter with wolven looks, couldn't be used as a heard dog. The cattle got nervous."

"Hmmh... Does not sound very reliable for any use."

"Hogwash!" Gabriel waved his hand, dismissing the comment from the leader of the knigths. "Boy has a good nose and is great for hunting. And for security."

One of the knights scoffed. "Anything with wolf blood is untrustworthy."

Simon wrapped his arms around Trevor's neck, playing along. "Not true! He's the best dog ever!" He glared at the men, daring them to say otherwise, as Trevor sniffed and poked Simon with his nose, making his son to scratch him for a show. Letting his tongue hang out and closing his eyes, Trevor played his part as a normal family pet, bushy tail wagging.

Gabriel threw a smug look towards the Brotherhood members. "Well, if that's all... A good day to you, gentlemen." Clicking his tongue, Gabriel started to walk again, the mare whinnying happily as they stopped to standing in this freezing weather. 

Passing the men, Gabriel noticed from the corner of his eye as the leader slowly reached towards his belt and when Simon along with Trevor passed him, the clint of gold revealed the object in his hand.

Gabriel felt his guts freezing.

It was a blessed relic used by Brotherhood to detected any dark creatures in the vicinity. He had himself used it's divine glow to advantage many times in his youth, on many kinds of beings.

Like vampires.

Steel-grey eyes of the leader locked into Trevor as the wolf passed him, gloved hand closed tightly over the relic.

But the incriminating glow never came.

Gabriel praised God as the knight looked down at the relic, puzzled. Harrumphing, he put the object away and prompted his horse to move, accelerating to a steady trot as his men followed, continuing on their way.

Feeling the weight dropping from their shoulders, Gabriel sighed in relief when they were out of ear- and eyeshot; "That. That was nerve-racking."

 **"Indeed,"** Trevor glanced over his shoulder, golden eyes sharp. **"At least we know now that they can't detect me."**

"Well, I'm counting our small blessings but... They were not just patrolling."

Simon looked up his grandfather, surprised. "How do you know?"

"Normally patrols so close to settlements and towns do not carry such an arsenal with them as the help is so near," the old warrior explained. "If you did not look closely; they armed with silver, holy water and blessed items. And each one had both light and shadow magic pendants. They were more ready to take on a group of necromancers than patrolling." He frowned. "I do not like this."

***

Spared from further encounters, the trio passed the treeline, climbing up the road as their house came to view. A thin curl of smoke rose from the chimney, inviting the huntsmen inside to the warmth. As soon as they had taken down the game and let their trusty mare in the stable, Simon pushed the front door open, barging in with a shout.

"Mama! Look what we got!"

 **"Indoor voices, Simon,"** the white wolf reminded.

"About time! I was fearing that I'd be visited by three snowmen," Sypha's voice sounded from the depths of the large chest she was digging into as the men stepped in. Looking up, she smiled, "And looks like I was right."

True, they were already covered in a nice layer of snow. Gabriel's hair was as white as Trevor's now and Simon himself looked like a walking snowball. Trevor's size had nearly doubled as the snow clung to his fur and refused to melt due to the lack of body heat.

"Correction: two snowmen and one snow-puppy," she grinned as the humans dusted their clothes while the immortal shook himself before transforming back to his humanoid form. Instead of his elaborate battle gear, Trevor was merely sporting simple leather pants, a common white cotton shirt and simple boots. 

" _'Puppy?_ '" Trevor crumbled, making his wife laugh aloud before she reached out and pulled his head downwards to quickly place a kiss on the cold lips.

"Eeeww!" Simon bleched. "Gross!"

"Now now, Simon," Gabriel chuckled, patting his grandson on the shoulder as he passed the boy, setting his wet cloak to dry near the hearth. "In a few years, you'll be charming ladies left and right with that Belmont charm."

"Kissing, too?!" the boy looked horrified. "Yuck!"

"You had a good timing. Dinner's almost ready," Sypha said after the adults had stopped chuckling. Covering her son's head with a towel, she proceeded to dry the wet, red strands, ignoring Simon's protests. "Say, have anyone of you seen my awl for making holes in leather?"

"Aren't those usually stored by you yourself?" Gabriel set out bowls on the dinner table, on the one end of the table as the rest was overtaken by pieces of tanned leather and assortment of leathercraft tools.

"They are, but I've looked and can't find it anywhere. And just as I would have had a need for it for these," Sypha picked up a pair of leather boots that looked like they had seen better days from the floor next to the table. "Remember when you lost this particular set of boots a while back, father-in-law? Well, found them. By the chicken coop. Under the snow."

Gabriel grimaced. "Err... oops?"

"Honestly," Sypha sighed. "Now how I'm going to-" She trailed off as her eyes landed on his husband. "Trevor, give me your hand."

"Huh? What for - woah!" Just as he had sat down, the vampire found himself suddenly yanked aside as Sypha took a hold of his hand, manoeuvring his long fingers so that sharp claws punched the leather, creating perfect holes.

"Ah, perfect!" Sypha nodded before smirking at the vampire. "Maybe I don't need a new awl, after all."

"...I'm feeling little used here."

Sypha laughed at the expression on his husband's face as she disappeared towards the backdoor, grabbing a tankard and knife along with her.

Simon hopped on the stool. "Can we go to practice with the Cross after the dinner, Papa? Please?"

"You have a job, Simon," Gabriel reminded his grandson before Trevor managed to answer. "After the dinner, animals need to be skinned."

"Aww, can't I do it tomorrow?" Simon moaned.

"Work first, training later," Trevor said sternly. "Do your chores today and we can train tomorrow."

"How much did you catch?" Sypha asked as she returned. After discarding the bloody knife near the pail she used for washing dishes, she handed the tankard filled with fresh chicken blood to Trevor.

"A boar, a doe, three pheasants and several hares," was Gabriel's answers.

"I shot the doe!" Simon proudly puffed his chest.

"Oh, has my little baby grown into a hunter?" His mother smiled and gave a kiss on Simon's forehead.

"Mama! Stop it! I'm too old for that!"

"Mother's decision, sweetheart," she ruffled boy's hair. "And I've decided that you'll never be too old for your mother's kisses."

"Papa! Grandfather! Help!"

Two men chuckled as Simon tried to avoid the kissing assault his mother delivered upon him. Finally letting him go, Sypha sat down with the rest of the family to dine and they soon returned to the earlier topic. "The storage is starting to fill up. If you keep this up, we'll drown in pelts before the spring."

"I guess we are getting too many for our own use," the eldest Belmont admitted. "And we know whose fault it is." He cocked an eyebrow towards the vampire.

"I can leave the hunting for you if you wish, Father," Trevor shot back. "Just don't complain about lazy youngsters making elderly do all the work when your back is killing you."

"You darn youngsters these days," Gabriel adopted a wheezy, old man-voice. "No respect for your elders whatsoever."

Trevor snorted at that, nearly spitting out the blood he was just about swallow as his father let out a laugh.

"Old Gustav might be interested in extra," the lady of the house said while breaking a piece from the bread and as the men got their laughing under control. "He always complains that though his stock diminishes during the winter, people commission him as much as ever."

"If the weather clears up for the morning, I guess I could go visit the town," Gabriel pondered, stretching his arms. "We are running low on salt anyway. And I could pick a new awl for you from the cordwainer."

Simon perked up at the mention of a trip to the town. "Can I come too, please?!"

Gabriel huffed. "Just a moment ago you wanted to train more than anything."

"Boys," Sypha sighed. "Changing their mind faster than wind scattering the leaves during the fall."

An empty tankard was set on the table, its bloody contents gone. "Hmm, well if you go, we'll postpone the training. Little easier for me, in fact. I've been up for nearly three weeks," Trevor yawned, fangs glinting briefly. "And in near-desperate need for day-rest."

Sypha reached out and brushed few white strands of hair that had moved in front of the vampire's face, looking concerned. Trevor merely smiled, the look in his golden eyes assuring his wife that he was fine. Just tired.

Gabriel felt a smile tugging the corner of his mouth. That wordless communication between the two reminded him so much from Marie. She needed next to no words to determine Gabriel's moods or intentions.

A sharp blade of sorrow nicked at his weary heart. As it always did when he thought of her. Though it would never fade, the pain had lessened through the years. Mostly because Gabriel was not alone anymore.

His daughter-in-law and grandson were a bright light in his life, but neither of them could outshine Trevor. If it not been for that dark-haired boy he met in the Brotherhood's orphanage, Gabriel would have been lost. Left alone with sins and horrors committed by his own, he would have had nothing to prevent him from sinking into the darkness.

Yet, Gabriel had been given one single thing that kept him falling. Trevor had been one to save his father from the looming existence without anyone with his mere presence.

The muscles on his jaw tightened. But now -

"- drive the wagon, grandfather?"

"Huh?" Snapping out his thoughts, Gabriel's head shot up as Simon poked him on the arm. "Sorry, what?"

"Can I drive the wagon?" His grandson repeated, fidgeting in excitement.

"Hold your horses, Simon," Gabriel shushed his grandson, purposely ignoring the sharp eyes of his son that looked at the elder warrior. "It all depends on the weather in the morning. If it's not cleared up, we won't go."

"In that case, then we'll train?" Simon asked, turning to look at his father hopefully but Sypha shook his head.

"No. Since your father needs rest; if the weather's foul you will either help me within the house. Or study."

Simon slammed his forehead against the table, groaning. "Ugh, _books._ "

***

As the night settled over the house, Gabriel was still awake, sitting by the heart. Outside the storm had died down, promising that their trip would happen, after all. So he had decided to prepare the pelts for the morning, gathering and tying them up in packages so all they would need to do is to toss into the cart -

"Father."

Startled from his work, he looked up to find Trevor standing in the doorway. Both Simon and Sypha had already retired to sleep and even if Trevor did not actually sleep, Gabriel had thought that he too had gone to rest.

The vampire moved from the doorway and sat on the floor next to chair Gabriel was sitting on. Neither of them spoke for the moment as Trevor picked up the rope and began to gather the rabbit pelts together.

"You should be resting."

Gabriel sighed, continuing his own task, "Figured to prepare these for the morning. Heaven knows it would be difficult to do with Simon jumping around asking _'are we going yet?'_."

Trevor chuckled. "True."

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be resting, son?"

"I'll retire before the sunrise," the vampire answered. "I couldn't get sleep during the night anyway."

Again a silence settled between two males for a while, only the low sound of their work filling the room.

"What bothers you, Father?" Trevor suddenly asked.

"What... do you mean?" Gabriel paused, already knowing what this was about.

"You know very well."

Sighing, Gabriel set the rope down. "It's nothing, Trevor. I was merely... thinking."

The silent look his son gave him prompted the old warrior to continue. "I was remembering Marie. You and Sypha... You two bring about memories of her."

Trevor blinked, before looking aside. "...sorry."

"Don't be, son," Gabriel placed his hand on the vampire's shoulder. "The pain is there, yes. But it's easier to deal with. Thanks to you three." He then looked into the waning flames still flickering in the hearth.

Trevor stayed silent before lifting his hand and Gabriel felt how long fingers curled around his own hand, the sharp claws never breaking the human's skin.

"You're not alone, Father," Trevor said quietly.

"I know, son. I know."

_But I fear..._

_That one day you will be._


End file.
